The present invention pertains generally to the field of insecticides, and more particularly to a substance that prevents or eliminates wood-destroying infestation.
Insecticides are generally used either to prevent future infestation by harmful insects or to eliminate present infestation by killing such insects, or both. It is desirable from an efficiency standpoint to provide a long-lasting, or even permanent, insecticide. However, conventional permanent, or nonbiodegradable, insecticides have been found to be carcinogenic products. Their use has hence been banned.
It would further be advantageous to provide an insecticide for wood-infesting insects that also eliminates various types of fungi that contribute to wood rot. It would also be desirable to provide an insecticide that includes various built-in safety measures to deter consumption by humans or domestic animals. Thus, there is a need for a permanent yet noncarcinogenic insecticide that targets insects and fungi, and deters consumption by humans or domestic animals.
The present invention is directed to a permanent yet noncarcinogenic insecticide that targets insects and fungi, and deters consumption by humans or domestic animals. Accordingly, the invention provides an insecticide preferably including disodium octaborate tetrahydrate and a mixture of powdered pigment and either sucrose octa-acetate or denatonium benzoate.
In a first aspect of the invention, an insecticide mixture advantageously includes at least 95% by weight disodium octaborate tetrahydrate, which may be either powdered or dissolved in a water solution. Preferably, the pigment is colored blue and provided in a sealed pouch along with a folded label, the label and pouch being included within a container of the powdered insecticide mixture.
In a second, separate aspect of the invention, an insecticide can be sold in powdered form in an externally labeled container that also holds a duplicate label. Advantageously, the powdered insecticide can subsequently be mixed into, e.g., a gallon container of water and the duplicate label can be affixed to the outside of the new container so that the new container can be stored for an extended period of time while the owner remains aware of its contents.